Electrical conductor retaining device



Oct. 29, 1940. u c, DUNAWAY ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR RETAINING DEVICE Filed Jan. 25, 1939 Patented Oct. 29, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR RETAINING DEVICE Ulrich C. Dunaway, Richmond Heights, Mo., as-

signor to James R. Kearney Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application January 25, 1939, Serial No. 252,757

Claims. (Cl. 248-65) This invention relates generally to electrical by bolts C which pass through said arm momconductor-retaining devices and more specificalbers and through a sp e D oc ted b tween 1y to a device of this type which is adapted parsaid arm members. At its opposite, or inner, end

ticularly for use with temporary cross arms and the temporary s arm is p v y attached y temporary side arms associated with conductormeans of a bolt E to a saddle element F which supporting poles, the predominant object of the engages the p and said saddle e t s invention being to provide a simple device of this Secured to the p y a chain G w h pa s type which is of such improved construction and about the pole and engages the saddle element.

arrangement that it is capable of performing its The t p ys arm B is Provided W intended function in an improved and highly strut H W h is Pivotaliy attached at J 150 a 10 efiicient manner, member K secured to the side arm and engages As is quite generally known by persons familhe p e a i ppo end 50 as to support the iar with such matters permanent cross-arms and side arm in a substantially horizontal position, side arms associated with poles employed for e po e-engaging end of the strut being S psupporting electrical conductors, periodically are P d y a C a L W ch is a tached to an ear 15 removed from the poles for repairs or replaceformed on the saddle element F and which is merit, and when this is done temporary cross en aged a s pp end y a buckle Mp varms or side arms must be applied to-the poles otally associated with the strut. to support the conductors while the work is be- Supported by the temporary side arm B and ing done. The temporary cross arms and side spaced longitudinally thereof is a p u y of 20 arms are provided with conductor-retaining dethe impr v d c n uct r-retaining devices I to vices which serve to hold the conductors in their which the present invention relates, and because proper positions with respect to the temporary the plurality of conductor-retaining devices are cross arms or side arms and with respect to duplicates in construction and the same in opeach other, and the prime object of this inVeneration the detailed description of the construc- 25 tion is to provide such a conductor-retaining tion and arrangement of the conductor-retaindevice which is of such improved construction ing devices will be directed to one thereof. and arrangement that a conductor may be The improved conductor-retaining device I quickly and easily engaged with or disengaged includes an upper member 2 which overlies the from the retaining device, and when so engaged spaced, parallel arm members of the temporary 30 will be securely held by the retaining device. side arm B as shown to the best advanta in Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a Figs. 2 and 3, said member 2 comprising a flat pole and temporary side arm assembly illustratplate 2 provided with downturned flanges 3 at ing the plurality of the improved conductoroppo i e sides of e fiat plate. The lower face 5 retaining devices associated with the temporary of the flat plate of the upper member 2 contacts side arm. with and rests upon the upper faces of the Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the improved spaced, parallel arm members of the side arm B, conductor-retaining devices, shown in associaand the downturned flanges 3 are disposed in tion with a fragment of a temporary side arm contact with, or in close proximity to, the 0pand with a portion of a conductor. 7 posed outer faces of the spaced, parallel arm 6 s- 3 is an enlarged section h 0h e members of the side arm. Extended downwardly of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction indicated from the fiat plate 2' of the upper member 2, by the arrow. and preferably formed integral therewith, is a 4 1S Staci-Jon take? mm 4-4 of body t which is disposed between the spaced,

In the drawmg Wherem Show M the parallel arms of the side arm B said bod 4 b 45 pose of illustration, merely, one embodiment of in Sha ed a Sh 3 d 4 y the invention, A designates a conventional pole 4 g p 5 "W m an h m of the type employed to Support overhead e1ec has formed vertically therein an opening 5 in trical conductors. Secured to the pole A is a which upper portmn of a rod 6 is temporary side arm B, said temporary side arm posed Saldrod bemg Securedto the body 4 by 50 being made up of a pair of arm members disa transverse pin 1 (Fig- 4) Which is disposed in posed in parallel arrangement and spaced apart alined Openings formed in the b dy 4 a d in the from each other as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The rod 6. The r d 6 extends downwardly from the arm members of the temporary side arm are sebody 4 to a point below the lower faces of the cured together at the outer end of the sidearm spaced, parallel arm members of the side arm 55 B, and said rod is externally screwthreaded for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

The improved conductor-retaining device includes also a lower member 8 which underlies the spaced, parallel arm members of the side arm B, said lower member 8 comprising a flat plate 8' which contacts with the lower faces of the spaced, parallel arm members of the side arm and having upturned flanges 9 which contact with, or lie in close proximity to, the outer faces of said spaced, parallel arm members of the side arm. The lower member 8 is provided with a body Hi which is disposed between the spaced, parallel arm members of the side arm B, said body ill being extended upwardly from the plate 8' and being shaped as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The lower member 8 is provided with an integral lower portion l I having a convex face, and extended outwardly from this lower portion in opposite directions are integral strengthening ribs l2. The lower member is provided with a vertical opening 13 which passes through the body H] and lower portion II, and the rod 6 extends through this opening.

Arranged on the lower screwthreaded portion of the rod i is a nut in the form of an internally screwthreaded sleeve I 4, said sleeve being provided with an operating arm I 5 having a suitable grip iii. The upper face of the sleeve I4 contacts with the convex face of the lower portion ll of the lower member 8, and obviously rotation of the sleeve in one direction, with the aid of the operating handle l5, will cause the upper member 2 and the lower member 8 to be moved toward each other so that the fiat plates of said upper and lower members will engage and grip the top and, bottom faces of the spaced, parallel arm members of the temporary side arm. Likewise by rotating the sleeve M in the opposite direction the entire conductor-retaining device may be removed from the side arm B, or the gripping engagement of the upper and lower members 2 and 8 with respect to the arm members of the side arm may be relieved to permit adjustment of the conductor-retaining device longitudinally of the side arm B.

Extended upwardly from thefiat plate 2' of the upper member 2 is a pair of spaced apart ears H. The ears are curved when viewed in side elevation as shown to the best advantage in Fig. 1, theinner curved faces of the associated ears providing the ears with alined, semi-circularcavities ll. Disposed between the ears I"! is a conductor-locking element 18 which is pivoted to said ears by a pivot pin I9 that extends through alined openings formed in the locking element and in the ears, said pivot pin being retained in place by cotter pins located adjacent to the opposite ends of the pivot pin.

The shape of the conductor-locking element I8 is shown to the best advantage in Fig. 4 wherein this element is illustrated as being provided with an extension l8 that extends outwardly and upwardly from the main body portion of the ele ment, said extension being provided with a lower cam face which, in the normal position of the element 5 8 is inclined outwardly and upwardly as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The conductor-locking element 1 8 is shaped so that it is provided with an approximately semicircular cavity 2! which coincides in part with the alined cavities formed in the ears 11; that is to say, when the conductorlocking element [8 is in its normal position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, a portion of the wall of the cavity 2| of said element is alined and coincides with portions of the Walls of the cavities of the ears [1.

Wound about the pivot pin [9 is a torsional coil spring 22 which tends to move the conductorlocking element 1 8 to its normal position as shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the opposite side faces of the conductor-locking element [8 are spaced from the inner faces of the ears Ill and coiled portions of the torsional coil spring 22 surround the pivot pin 19 in these spaces. The coiled portions of the torsional coil spring 22 which are disposed in the spaces between the conductor-locking element [8 and the ears I! are joined by a bridge portion 23 of the spring and this bridge portion 23 engages beneath a shoulder 24 formed on the'conductor-locking element 18 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The opposite ends of the torsional coil spring contact with the flat plate 2' of the upper member 2 as shown at 24 in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. The extension l8 of the conductor-locking element is provided at its outer end with an aperture 25, and said conductorlocking element is provided with ribs 26 which serve to provide the element with the required strength and rigidity. Also the conductor-locking element I8 is provided with a nose portion 21 which, when said element is in its normal position, contacts with an inclined face 28 formed on the upper member 2 to arrest movement of said conductor-locking element in response to force eX- erted by the torsional coil spring 22.

In the use of the improved conductor-retaining device disclosed herein as many devices as may be required are applied to a temporary side arm as shown in Fig. l, or to a temporary cross arm. The temporary arm is then secured to a pole immediately adjacent'to a side arm or cross arm which is to be repaired or replaced, and the conductors are detached from the permanent arm and with the aid of suitable hot line tools are moved to positions where each thereof is in the position of the conductor X shown in Fig. 1. The lineman, who is supported on the pole, then pushes the conductor along the temporary arm toward the adjacent conductor-retaining device, with the aid of a suitable insulated tooland as the conductor is moved against the inclined face 20 of the conductor-locking element 18 of the conductor-retaining device the free end portion of said element [8 is cammed upwardly against the action of the torsional coil spring 22. As movement of the conductor is continued it will pass inwardly ofthe nose portion 21 of the conductorlocking element, thereby permitting the torsional coil spring to return the conductor locking element to its normal position where the conductor is locked in the associated cavities of the conductor-locking element I8 and the ears I! as shown at the right hand end of Fig. 1. When a conductor is to be released from one of the improved conductor-retaining devices a suitable tool is introduced into the aperture of the conductor-locking element and the free end of this element is elevated a sufficient distance to permit movement of the conductor out of the cavities of the ears and away from the conductor retaining device. The conductor may then be handled by suitable tools to replace it in association with a permanent arm of the pole.

I claim: 7

1. In combination, an arm of a pole, and an electrical conductor-retaining device, said electrical conductor-retaining device comprising a member fixed to said arm and provided with a conductor-receiving cavity, a conductor-locking element pivotally supported by said member, and a cam face on said conductor-locking element, said .cam face being so related to a surface of said arm that a conductor supported by said surface of said arm and moved slidingly therealong will move against said cam face to cam said conductor-locking element to a position where the conductor may move into said conductorreceiving cavity of said member, said conductorlocking element being movable when the conductor has been moved into the conductorreceiving cavity of said member to a position where the conductor is locked thereby in said conductor-receiving cavity of said member.

2. In combination, an arm of a pole, and an electrical conductor-retaining device, said electrical conductor-retaining device comprising a member fixed to saidarm and provided with a conductor-receiving cavity, a conductor-locking element pivotally supported by said member, a cam face on said conductor-locking element, said cam face being so related to a surface of said arm that a conductor supported by said surface of said arm and moved slidingly therealong will move against said cam face to cam said conductor-locking element to a position where the conductor may move into said conductor-receiv'mg cavity of said member, said conductor-locking element being movable when the conductor has been moved into the conductor-receiving cavity of said member to a position where the'conductor is locked thereby in said conductor-receiving cavity of said member, and spring means which tends to move said conductor-locking element to the conductor locking position.

3. In combination, an arm of a pole, and an electrical conductor-retaining device, said electrical conductor-retaining device comprising a member fixed to said arm and provided with a conductor-receiving cavity, a conductor-locking element pivotally supported by said member and provided with a conductor-receiving cavity which normally cooperates with the conductor-receiving cavity of said member to proide an enclosed conductor-retaining cavity, and a cam face on said conductor-locking element, said cam face being so related to a surface of said arm that a conductor supported by said surface of said arm and moved slidingly therealong will move against said cam face to cam said conductor-locking element to a position where the conductor may move into said conductor-receiving cavity of said member, said conductor-locking element being movable when the conductor has been moved into the conductor-receiving cavity of said member to a'position where the conductor is locked thereby in the enclosed conductor-retaining cavity provided by the cooperating cavities of said member and said element,

to said arm.

4. In combination, an arm of a pole, and an electrical conductor-retaining device, said electrical conductor-retaining, device comprising a member fixed to said arm and provided with a conductor-receiving cavity, an inclined surface formed on said member which leads to the conductor-receiving cavity thereof, a conductorlocking element pivotally supported by said member and provided with a conductor-receiving cavity which normally cooperates with the conductor-receiving cavity of said member to provide an enclosed conductor-receiving cavity, and a cam face on said conductor-locking element, said cam face being so related to a surface of said arm that a conductor supported by said surface of said arm and moved slidingly therealong will move against said cam face to cam said conductor-locking element to a position where the conductor may move into said conductorreceiving cavity of said member, said conductorlocking element being movable when the conductor has been moved into the conductorreceiving. cavity of said member to a position where the conductor is locked thereby in the 'enclosed conductor-retaining .cavity provided by thecooperating cavities of said member and said element. I

5. In combination, an arm of a pole, and an electrical conductor-retaining device, said electrical conductor-retaining device comprising a member fixed to said arm and provided with a conductor-receiving cavity, an inclined surface formed on said member which leads to the conductor-receiving cavity thereof, a conductorlocking element pivotally supported by said member and provided with a conductor-receiving cavity which normally cooperates with the com ductor-receiving cavity of said member to provide an enclosed conductor-retaining cavity, a cam face on said conductor-locking element, said cam face being so related to a surface of said arm that a conductor supported by said surface of said arm and moved slidingly therealong will move against said cam face to cam said conductor-locking element to a position where the conductor may move into said conductor-receiving cavity of said member, said conductor-locking element being movable when the conductor has been moved into the conductor-receiving cavity of said member to a position where the conductor is locked thereby in the enclosed conductorretaining cavity provided by the cooperating cavities of said member and said element, spring means which tends to move said conductorlocking element to the conductor-locking position, and securing means for fixing said member ULRICH c. DUNAWAY. 

